Congratulations Steve from your Hamilton Huskies Family.
First presented in 2020, the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award is presented annually to the General Manager who best excelled in his role during the regular season. The award honours the memory of one of the game’s great builders in former long-time NHL executive Jim Gregory who passed away in October 2019 at the age of 83.
Past Recipients:
2021-22: Steve Staios (Hamilton)
2019-20: James Boyd (Ottawa)
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Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Steve Staios of the Hamilton Bulldogs is the 2021-22 recipient of the Jim Gregory OHL General Manager of the Year Award as voted by his peers.
First announced in August 2019, the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award is presented annually to the General Manager who best excelled in his role during the regular season. The award honours the memory of one of the game’s great builders in former long-time NHL executive Jim Gregory who passed away in October 2019 at the age of 83.
“My dad would be so proud to have a man of Steve’s character and hockey knowledge be the winner of this award,” said David Gregory, who serves as a Senior Manager with NHL Central Scouting. “Steve has had a great career in hockey, playing in over 1000 NHL games. This year Steve and his staff have their team competing for the OHL Championship. Congratulations Steve, the Gregory family is so proud to have your name alongside that of my father’s on his namesake trophy.”
Under the guidance of Head Coach Jay McKee, Staios’ Bulldogs captured the franchise’s first-ever Hamilton Spectator Trophy as regular season champions, boasting a record of 51-12-3-2. The East Division champion Bulldogs surrendered the League’s fewest goals (176), scored the second most (300), owned the best home record (27-4-1-2), put together the second-ranked power play (27.6%) and fifth-best penalty kill (80.9%). The Bulldogs scored 10 goals in a game four times during the regular season and featured seven different players on their roster that registered at least a point-per-game (Morrison, Hayes, Diaco, Staios, Mysak, McTavish, Winterton).
“It is a great honour to receive this award in the name of the late Mr. Jim Gregory who mentored and influenced many people so positively in our great game of hockey,” said Staios. “Mr. Gregory set a high standard of leadership and it is a proud moment for me to accept this award on behalf of the entire Hamilton Bulldogs Hockey Club.”
Hamilton’s roster benefitted from a pair of key mid-season acquisitions in Anaheim Ducks first round pick Mason McTavish and overage Montreal Canadiens blue line signee Arber Xhekaj. Big minute defenders in captain Colton Kammerer and OHL Defenceman of the Year Nathan Staios were also past additions by Staios, while other core elements of the club were identified through the OHL Priority Selection. Former first round picks Logan Morrison and Ryan Winterton join other players developed within the organization such as goaltender Marco Costantini, forwards Avery Hayes, George Diaco, Ryan Humphrey and Lawson Sherk, Under-18 Priority Selection pick Gavin White on the back end and CHL Import Draft find Jan Mysak down the middle.
“This is a Team Award,” Staios added. “It allows me to recognize our owner Michael Andlauer, players, coaches, scouts, front office staff and billet families for their tireless work, commitment and dedication that makes our Hamilton Bulldogs a best in class organization.”
A Hamilton product, Staios played three seasons on the blue line in the OHL between Niagara Falls and Sudbury from 1990-93. Selected in the second round of the 1991 NHL Draft by the St. Louis Blues, Staios went on to play a 19-year professional career that featured 1,001 regular season games in the NHL. Staios reached the 2006 Stanley Cup Final as a member of the Edmonton Oilers and enjoyed success on the international stage, winning World Championship gold with Canada in 2003 and 2004 along with a silver medal in 2008. He’s currently in his seventh year as President and General Manager of the Hamilton Bulldogs, having steered the club to its first OHL Championship in 2018. The Bulldogs have played to an overall regular season record of 205-156-29-12 in his time as GM.
A builder and good friend of the Ontario Hockey League along with countless people across the hockey world, Jim Gregory was a Hockey Hall of Fame inductee in 2007 who made significant contributions to the game throughout his lengthy career. Gregory got his managerial start by guiding St. Michael’s College School and the Toronto Marlboros to great success, winning a total of three Memorial Cup titles before becoming General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1969-79. He then transitioned into an executive role with the National Hockey League, one that spanned the course of four decades as he most recently served as the NHL’s Sr. Vice President of Hockey Operations.
